Kirk Hammett has had a long relationship with Randall, which in recent years has resulted in a successful run of signature offerings, including the KH120RHS head and KH412 cab, KH75 combo, KH15 practice amp and KH3 preamp module.

But Hammett and Randall are about to take their partnership up a notch with the soon-to-be-released KH103 amplifier.

“I was using the modular amps, but I realized I needed something extra durable to take out on the road,” Hammett says. “The KH103 is what I was looking for. It’s point to point and hand soldered and made so well. It has these amazing gain stages, which really make the amp sound above and beyond.”

The KH103 is born out of three years of meticulous prototyping with famed amp designer Mike Fortin. The 120-watt three-channel all-tube amp has been road tested and refined through some serious gigs, including the Big Four Yankee Stadium concert, as well as tours through Abu Dhabi, India and Metallica’s 30th anniversary shows in 2011 at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

“When Mike first came over with this new amp design, I plugged it in and fell in love,” Hammett says. “It instantly became a part of my sound. That amp is basically the sound you hear in the movie Through the Never [Metallica’s 2013 IMAX concert film]. It’s a part of my touring sound and will be a part of my recording sound in the future. It’s a great-sounding amp. It’s given me the tone I’ve been chasing for a long time.”

The new Randall KH103 will debut this fall with a retail price point of $3,749.99.